Ask the Experts

Garden City Hospital is here to help. Now you can browse, search and view answers to frequently asked health questions. Have a personal health question you need answered? We can do that too! Simply submit your question and we will get it to the appropriate GCH health expert for an answer.

Ask the Experts is for general information purposes only. It should never be thought of as medical advice or treatment, nor should it be used in place of a thorough medical screening or an exam by a licensed medical professional. Medical advice should be sought from an emergency room, urgent care center, or licensed medical professional. If you need help finding a physician, use our online physician directory to locate a Garden City Hospital Health Expert that’s right for you.

Check the Sunday issue or your local O&E for more answers from the GCH Health Experts.

Note: Questions are selected both randomly and based on relevance or frequency. Not all submitted questions will be answered. Answers will be posted on GCH.org and not supplied directly to the submitter. To maintain personal privacy, we do not require any personal information be given to submit questions.

Q

For the past year, I’ve noticed bladder control is an issue when I sneeze or have a coughing fit. When I was pregnant, the same thing happened, but it went away right after my son’s birth. Is this normal? What can I do to make it stop?

A

Urinary stress incontinence (SI), the most common type of incontinence experienced in women, occurs when an activity, such as coughing or even laughing, causes small amounts of urine to leak ... read more

Urinary stress incontinence (SI), the most common type of incontinence experienced in women, occurs when an activity, such as coughing or even laughing, causes small amounts of urine to leak from the urethra. Women who have given birth are more likely to have SI. Other factors which increase the risk of developing SI include age, weight, menopause, a history of pelvic surgery, and smoking.

Urge incontinence is a less common form of incontinence. It is an involuntary loss of urine that occurs for no apparent reason while feeling a sudden need or urge to urinate. Incontinence today is very different than what it was decades ago. There are more options available to women, and I encourage you to have an open discussion with your physician to express your concerns. Your physician will be able to determine if you have SI or urge incontinence and address it accordingly, since treatment differs depending on diagnosis. Together, you and your physician will decide the best treatment plan for alleviating and eliminating symptoms to live a normal, active life.